We finally removed the office trailer we’ve been using for over a year to manage the construction. Like the roll-off containers, we had to wait until we could rebuild the ramp necessary to get them out. It was a tight squeeze getting it out the driveway. We now have a temporary office inside the basement.
The back property line had anywhere from 4-8 feet think of mixed growth, including an invasive bamboo-like species, and a red trumpet vine that kept invading our oak tree. Luckily, our neighbors on that side agreed with us that it all had to be taken out, to start from scratch, with a fence and someRead more about The jungle[…]
We have a three story stair set that goes from our basement to our 2nd floor. Over the last two months, we’ve had carpenters here on and off installing the railing, and a few weeks ago the flooring contractor installed the stair treads and risers. There is quite a bit of painting to do there.Read more about Painting the stairs[…]
When we tore down the old house, we saved quite a bit of wood. Stuff like exposed beams, structural beams, and even wall studs and floor joists, all redwood. Much of it is old growth, tight grain, clear heart redwood. We also got quite a few old redwood fence and shed boards, which we areRead more about Old wood[…]
We’ve had a porta-potty for the duration of construction. Finally, after more than 18 months without a proper toilet here, our toilets are all plumbed in and working. But, I realized last weekend, after visiting a friends construction site, it didn’t have to be this way. They simply made their own outhouse, and probably savedRead more about Outhouse style[…]
We’ve had storage containers on our property for the better part of 3 years. In them are all the furniture and furnishings that would not fit in our rental house, or the old house that we tore down. We decided to go with roll-off containers, rather than renting a storage space, because it is muchRead more about A milestone – removal of the roll-off storage containers[…]
Traditional craftsman houses have a considerable amount of stained wood finish. Consider this house just a half block away from ours that was on the market some years back. The old house on our property had a lot of exposed, unfinished redwood. We love redwood, but that is a lot of reddish brown to haveRead more about Stain in the ass[…]
All week we’ve been trying to get people to come over to get some work done on the yard, and then all three teams showed up at the same time today. The plaster crew showed up to plaster a retaining wall that goes all down our driveway and then across our property. The block wallRead more about A busy morning[…]
Our house, being a craftsman, is very angular. Pretty much everything is a right angle and there are almost no curves. Almost, because, at the bottom of our stairs, we decided to make the last two treads curved where they extend past the wall. Here is a normal section of stairs. On top goes theRead more about Dealing with curves[…]
The electricians have been here for a month now, doing the finish. This includes installing the outlets, light fixtures, switches, and the Lutron system that will control it all. There is lots of lighting, including LED cans, sconces, and surface mount fixtures on the inside. There are quite a few really cool craftsman fixtures onRead more about Electrical update[…]